A Return Home
by JackOfBlades394
Summary: It has been a Year since Chihiro had come back from the world of spirits. Now after returing to Haku's old home over and over. She meets a person she thought she would never see again.
1. Chapter 1

Spirited Away: A Return Home  
>A Fanfic by Viral Inque, Re-published by JackOfBlades394<br>Any Reviews, good or bad, would be greatly appreciated. More chapters coming soon hope you enjoy.

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><p>Chapter 1: Spirited Away Again<p>

Chihiro had gradually started visiting the apartment complex after the events that took place when she moved almost a year ago. It was a whole hour from her house by train, but she made the trip almost every other day just the same. It was kind of silly, she thought, and not very safe at her age, but she had been become inexplicably drawn to the place. Her parents had given up on trying to stop her from going. She didn't know anyone in the complex, nor did she visit anyone while she was there. She just sat on a bench or under a tree in the park, drinking syrupy soda that she spent her allowance on and watching people move in and out of the industrial living structures.

They were actually pretty impressive buildings, part of a new wave of modern edifices in the area. They had shiny metal exteriors and flashy glass elevators that made people with a fear of heights sick to their stomachs. Outside, lush and colorful plants and trees litter the place, thriving off the rich soil left behind from the river they dredged up to make room for the apartments. Chihiro enjoyed all these things, but didn't really care all that much about them. None of these things was the reason she had started going there.

Conversely, she hadn't gone near the other place since she had gotten back from her adventure there. As much as she wanted to go back, if only just for a little while, she hadn't gone back. As much as she wanted to see her friends there, she couldn't go back. In fact, she got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the very thought of it. She couldn't figure it out, and in fact felt bad about not wanting to return, but had not gotten the nerve to go near the place to find out why. Instead, she'd come here, in the hope of seeing him just once more.

This wasn't his home though, not anymore anyway, and he couldn't return even if he wanted to. Even still, Chihiro would come here over and over again, in the hope of seeing him.

One day, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon not more then a month ago, she had been certain she had seen him. As she ran towards him, her heart pounding heavy in her chest, she knew it couldn't be him. But she had sensed him near her; as sure as she knew her own name. Of course it hadn't been him, just some junior high school student coming home from a late class, and Chihiro was left heartbroken.

On this particular day, she had brought some popcorn from the nearby convenience store, and was busying herself feeding pigeons, along with the occasional pushy squirrel. She had come to visit the area so often that residents of the apartment complex knew her by face and would wave hello to her as they came home from long days at work.

Focused on the pigeons, which had resorted to violence in order to get at the last few pieces of popcorn, Chihiro hardly noticed someone walking down the paved path and sitting next to her on the bench she was occupying. She gave a lazy wave to the person and didn't give it another thought.

"Do they like popcorn, or these particularly violent birds?" said the person sitting next to Chihiro.

"Hmm, they like the popcorn, mostly," Chihiro, stated simply, but as she said it, she couldn't shake the idea that it sounded like someone she knew. As she looked up, she was shocked to see that indeed she did know whom it was.

"Hey kid, what's new?" said the attractive woman sitting next to Chihiro. She waved a calloused hand in greeting.

"Lin?" Chihiro answered, her mouth hanging open. Before she could get a reply, she jumped at Lin and wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Lin! Lin! It's really you!" Chihiro cried, hugging Lin so hard that her eyes started to go into the back of her head.

"Yes, yes! It's me. Just, for pity's sake, let go of me!" Lin whimpered, gasping for air. With some effort she pried herself loose from Chihiro's grasp.

For a moment, Chihiro didn't know what to say. She merely stared at Lin with a mixture of surprise and confusion. Lin sat tentatively, hands raised, ready to defend herself if Chihiro decided to spring again.

After several minutes, Chihiro finally asked, "What are you doing here, Lin?"

"Well, to see you of course," Lin replied, flashing her charming smile, "But I should explain first."

"What?"

"Well, you see," Lin began, pausing to take a deep breath, "After you left, a lot of weird stuff went down. When Haku got his name back, he was freed from Yu-Baaba's influence. He proved to be even more powerful when his mind was free, and with Bou going against his mother's behavior, they proved to be a real pain for Yu-Baaba."

"How is Haku? And the baby, how is he doing?" Chihiro blurted out excitedly.

"Slow down, slow down," Lin said, waving her hands at Chihiro dramatically. "Anyway, after a while, Yu-Baaba ended up making some changes around the bathhouse. She'd tell you it was mostly because she was getting tired of Haku pestering her, and while I'm sure that was part of it, I think her sister Zeniiba had something to do with her change of heart too. At least that's what the rumors say."

Lin paused to catch her breath. Chihiro watched attentively as Lin smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress, then went into a purse she was toting and produced two candy bars. She offered one to Chihiro, which she took with a bow, and ripped into the other one. After a few bites of the candy bar, Lin took another deep breath and prepared to continue.

"So Yu-Baaba is still a money hungry old crone," Lin continued, picking her teeth with a stubby fingernail, "But now life at the bathhouse is, I don't know, easier; A little more comfortable maybe. You don't have to worry about Yu-Baaba getting ticked off and turning you into a pig or a lump of coal. Well, not as much anyway. All our contracts have been revised too, although it was too much to think that Yu-Baaba would give us our names back or offer us proper wages. Still, things have improved."

"Wow," Chihiro exclaimed when Lin was finally finished, then with a wrinkle of her brow, added, "So why are you here, Lin?"

"Oh, well, to take you back of course," Lin replied excitedly, "Now mind you, Haku had to really push his luck to get Yu-Baaba to agree to this, so you can be sure you won't be getting too warm a welcome from her. But Haku really never forgot about you, and when he saw an opportunity to get Yu-Baaba to let you come back, he took it. Don't ask me what it cost him, he wouldn't tell me, but you can bet it didn't come cheap."

"What?" Chihiro asked in a confused tone, "I can go back? How? I thought I couldn't?"

"Because of Yu-Baaba, you twit," Lin cried, "I don't know what Haku did or said, but she lifted the spell, or curse, or whatever it was that would have kept you from coming back. She lifted mine too, temporarily, so I could come and get you. Pretty nice, coming back to the regular world, but like a cruel sort of joke, since I still have to go back to the bathhouse."

Chihiro stared at Lin like she had no idea what she was talking about. She just couldn't believe it, couldn't let herself believe it. She looked around her, as if coming out of trance, unsure of where she was or what she had been doing.

"So, come on already. We got a bit of a walk ahead of us," Lin said, standing up and holding out her hand. Chihiro stared at her in disbelieve, then obediently grabbed a hold of Lin's hand, stood, and followed her out of the park.

In Chihiro's shock at what Lin had told her, she didn't consider that they were supposed to be walking some forty miles to get back. It didn't take very long at all though. They walked from one place to the next, going through a door here, or down an alley, or under a bridge, and coming out at all sorts of unexpected places. One door in the back of a bakery led to the hollow of a dead tree, while another in some hospital led then to an underground tunnel. Lin consulted a piece of paper as they went, only looking up occasionally to check their position. Chihiro didn't say much, examining her surroundings in a bemused sort of way, the shock of going back to the bathhouse mingling with the shock of the trip there.

In half an hour or so, after slipping down the steel slope of a park slide, they were at the dirt path that led into the train station. The stone statuette of the two-faced spirit stared at Chihiro mischievously.

"What a pain," Lin said through a yawn, rubbing her eyes, "You ready?"

"But what about my parents?" Chihiro asked.

"They won't even know you're gone. Yu-Baaba will see to it that you get back without missing out on too much time," Lin answered, and began walking towards the dark passage into the station. With one last look at the real world, Chihiro followed.

All the apprehension Chihiro had been harboring about going back to the bathhouse was washed away as she made her way slowly through the dark, windy passage. Gone was the fear she had had the first time around, replaced now by a strange sense of familiarity. It almost felt as if Chihiro was finally going back home after a long holiday in some other place. As they inched their way along the path, Chihiro's heart started to pound in excitement. She found herself smiling, in anticipation and with irrepressible happiness.

"That place where you found me, that's where Haku used to live," Chihiro said, and her voice echoed through the hall and bounced back on her.

"I know," Lin replied.

"I was waiting for him, I guess," Chihiro continued, as a dim light began to filter in from the oncoming station, "I didn't think I'd ever be able to see him again. Or anybody else either."

"I know what you mean," Lin said, as they came to the end of the passage and into the station. She smiled in spite of herself, unable to hide how happy she was that Chihiro was coming back to the bathhouse. She had to admit; things just hadn't been the same without her there.

The station was just as it had been the first time Chihiro had come through it. Everything was covered in a layer of dust and the paint peeled off the walls in long, brightly colored strips. Off in the distance, a train could be heard chugging down a track.

One more turn and a short while later, they were in the verdant, open fields that led to the town of the spirits. Soon, a river would magically appear in its place, as well as an enormous boat that would transport the spirits across its banks.

Chihiro looked across the field, at the carved stones that littered its path, and at the town off in the distance. She felt a flood of emotions coming over her. She smiled at Lin, who was watching her, enjoying the look of excitement on her face.

"Welcome home," Lin said.

So I hope you like it. I decided I needed to re-publish this story because I want to continue it. The Story was and is not mine. It has not been updated for about eight to nine years so I'm going to continue the story with another name.

-Always Watching  
>JackOfBlades<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: The Thick Of It

Spirited Away: Another Day in Paradise  
>A Fanfic by Viral Inque, Re-published by JackOfBlades394<br>Any reviews, good or bad, would be greatly appreciated. More chapters coming soon. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2: The Thick Of It

Lin had no desire to walk another step, so they sat in the tall, soft grass, waiting for nightfall and the boat that would transport them comfortably to the other side to arrive. Lin picked at blades of grass, tossing them into the air indifferently, watching them flutter along the breeze. Chihiro wondered what the inside of the boat might be like. If it were anything like the train she had taken a year ago, it would be something to marvel at.

"Tell me about everything that's been going on," Chihiro said as she absentmindedly pulled out her ponytail and tied it back using the ribbon she had gotten from Zeniiba. She looked at it curiously and wondered if she had noticed she had been using it all along.

"Jeez, will you relax," Lin said, rolling her eyes, "You'll be able to see everyone soon enough." She looked over at Chihiro, who was fussing with her hair again without realizing it and tapping her feet nervously, a pleading look on her face. "Oh, fine," she finally said.

Lin told Chihiro everything she could think of that would interest her as they watch the sun slowly make it way to the horizon. Like how a couple of months ago an actual Stink Spirit had come to the bathhouse and they had spent two weeks trying to get rid of the awful stench that it left behind. No-face had come by to visit recently too, roaming the grounds waiting for someone to let him in, or more likely waiting to see Chihiro. He had cause a panic throughout the entire bathhouse until Yu-Baaba had made him leave. Haku spent more time inside the bathhouse these days, no longer going off on long missions for Yu-Baaba. Lin pointed out that he was considerably more pleasant on an everyday basis too.

Chihiro enjoyed hearing all the stories and got even more excited at the thought of seeing her friends, if that was at all possible. She could barely contain herself as the first night stars started to appear in the darkening sky and the last rays of sunlight slowly faded. The ground started to swell, and puddles starting forming in little valleys. As they sat watching, the field filled with water as if it were seeping out from beneath the ground. Higher and higher it rose, until there was a river where the field had been, the water reaching to just in front of them.

"Isn't that neat?" Lin mused.

"Yeah," Chihiro replied, dumbfounded.

To their right, as mysteriously as the river had appeared, the enormous paddleboat of the spirits rose out of the water. The boat created small waves as it came up that crashed into Chihiro and Lin's feet. A plank dropped from the boat onto the grass. As Chihiro and Lin made their way to it, spirits of every shape and size started materializing out of the darkness, making their way onto the boat.

As they walked along the deck of the boat, Chihiro noticed that it was primarily comprised of large rooms lined with row after row of seats. There was one central room on each level, which was both the biggest room, as well as being the area where most of the spirits were migrating. Venders offered trays heaped with rich smelling foods to the spirits as they passed by. As the spirits sat down, women from the bathhouse offer them pillows and blankets.

Lin pointed to two empty seats in a corner and they sat down. They watched patiently as the bustle of spirits boarding the boat continued for several more minutes. Finally, with a jerk, the boat started across the river.

Chihiro could feel all the spirits around her staring at her intently. Occasionally, a bathhouse girl would walk by and give them a dirty look for being able to relax while they had to bust their Asses working. Lin had a few choice words for a few of them. Chihiro felt the color rush to her face, and felling suddenly uncomfortable with all the eyes fixed upon her, she occupied herself with examining her sneakers.

In no time at all, it seemed, the boat came to a stop on the other end of the river, rocking deeply as it ran aground. Chihiro and Lin disembarked much the same way as they had gotten on, following the throngs of lively characters onto solid ground.

"How about something to eat?" Lin asked, stopping to stretch when they were out of the way of traffic.

"Okay," Chihiro answered, and they made there way into town.

Chihiro's senses went into overload as they got to the many food shops of the town. The smells of all the different foods were incredibly overpowering, as well as enticing. A collective roar flowed through the air, full of pleasant conversation and the clanging of cutlery, plates, and glasses being used. Chihiro cringed as they walked pass the booth where her parents had been turned into pigs a year ago.

They kept on walking until they came to a lonely booth that was adorned with fish heads hanging from the ceiling. The smell of the place reflected the decor. Not surprisingly, there were very few spirits lingering around the booth. An old frog with a long gray beard stood behind the counter, waving a fan across his face. He looked at Chihiro and Lin suspiciously as they approached the booth.

"Hmm, Lin, what brings you here?" the old frog mumbled.

"Shimo, you crazy old coot," Lin said abrasively, but in a conversational tone, "When the hell are you getting rid of all this damn fish. It reeks for half a mile in any direction."

"I'll get rid of them on your wedding day," Shimo replied dryly, letting out a raspy chuckle, "You bitter, loveless, harpy."

"It's good to see you, old man. I don't get to come down this way too much anymore," Lin said, sitting down on the stool nearest to her. Chihiro shrugged and took a seat next to her.

"Good to see you too, Lin. Don't get too much company. Maybe its time to get rid of all these goddamn fish heads," Shimo replied, and let out another sickly laugh, that sounded more like a cough, at his own cleverness. Shimo looked at Chihiro as if he had just noticed she was sitting there and gestured at her with his head.

"Who's that?" he asked Lin.

"Oh, sorry. This is Chihiro," she replied, patting Chihiro on the back, "You've heard of her. She used to be Sen. But she got her freedom and went home. Chihiro, this is Shimo, a useless old man if you'll ever see one."

Chihiro waved timidly and tired not to laugh, not sure if Lin's introduction was supposed to be a joke.

"Useless," Shimo croaked, sounding very much like a frog, "And I'm to assume you expect a handout after that kind of reception."

"If you don't mind," Lin answered with a smile.

"Hold on," Shimo said, and walked gingerly towards the back of the booth and disappeared behind a burgundy colored curtain.

"Shim's okay," Lin said, leaning in close to Chihiro, "If you ever need anything, especially food, he'll help you out. Just don't get into a conversation about fishing, or you'll be here for days hearing him go on and on."

Chihiro stifled a laugh as Shimo reemerged from behind the curtain, holding two bundles wrapped in napkins.

"I put in a little extra for you," he said with a wink as he handed Chihiro one of the bundles, which was steaming hot, "On account of the fact you helped Haku remember his name, and took some of the wind out of Yu- Baaba's sails."

"Thanks," Chihiro said, and bowed politely.

"Yeah, thanks, Shimo, as always," Lin said, putting her nose to her bundle and sniffing it hungrily.

"Sure, sure," he said, waving their thanks away, "Now get out of here before someone sees you.

"Come on," Lin said, grabbing Chihiro by the arm. They ducked behind the booth, went down a steep dirt path and came to a field of wheat. Lin led them into the rows of towering plants, and stopped as soon as they were safely out of sight.

"Yu-Baaba would, of course, kill us if she caught us eating the food of the spirits," Lin whispered, and Chihiro's heart started racing, "But we should be alright here. We just got to keep moving. If we get back too late, Yu-Baaba will assume we were up to something."

So they walked slowly towards the bathhouse and ate their food under the cover of the tall wheat plants. Chihiro couldn't have begun to explain how delicious the food was if she had wanted to. Every bite sent a rush of flavor into her mouth, making her tongue tingle. She was halfway through eating a piece of shrimp as big as her fist when she began choking.

Lin ran back to her and pounded on her back until she started breathing again in long spasms. "What happened?" she cried.

"This is the food of the spirits," Chihiro cried, her whole body shaking, "Aren't we going to turn into pigs?"

"Don't you think I would have thought of that already," Lin whined, annoyed, "It's fine. Trust me. There are ways around that kind of thing if you know to look. Let's go." As they began moving again, Lin looked over her shoulder, smiling wide, "It's good, isn't it?"

"Delicious," Chihiro said, through a mouthful of shrimp.

They continued down the field, the bathhouse looming closer. Chihiro tried to eat as fast as she could; getting more and more nervous the closer they got to the bathhouse. She found a roasted newt mixed in with her food. She didn't want it, but since it was a widely sought after delicacy in this world, she had the presence of mind to wrap it in a napkin and put it in her pocket. When they reached the end of the field they stopped and shoveled whatever food they had left down their throats. Chihiro took a couple of meat buns and some rolls, wrapped them neatly into napkins, and stuffed them as inconspicuously as possible into her pockets for later.

When they were clear to move out of the shadow of the field, they crossed another field till they reached an embankment that led onto a walkway, and soon they were facing the bridge to the bathhouse. Swarms of spirits pressed along the bridge, to the other side where hundreds of bathhouse workers could be seen waiting to greet them. Instinctively, Chihiro took a deep breath and held it as they reached the foot of the bridge.

"Stop that," Lin scolded, "You're a guest now, sort of. No need to try to hide."

About halfway across the bridge, a pathway cleared so that Chihiro caught a glimpse of Haku waiting on the other side. She thought that if she didn't get across the bridge to him soon, she'd just burst. Soon enough, they were close enough that she could see him smiling at her every time the crowd parted long enough for their eyes to meet. As soon as she had a direct line to him, she covered the last of the distance at a sprint and embraced Haku, nearly knocking them both over.

"Haku, I missed you so much," Chihiro whispered, hugging Haku so hard her arms started to hurt from the effort.

"And I, you," Haku replied. After a moment, he pulled her away, a more somber look on his face, "We'll have time to catch up later, but Yu- Baaba asked that you go to see her as soon as you arrive."

"Oh no," Lin yelled from behind them, walking up to Haku and pointing an accusing finger at his face, "You make sure Yu-Baaba doesn't harass Chihiro while she's here."

"Don't worry, Lin," Haku said, putting up a hand defensively, "It's alright. She only wants to see her, nothing more."

Just the same, Chihiro found Haku's words less then comforting and looked up at the top floor of the bathhouse with a sense of foreboding.

Sorry to say but I won't be posting again until summer time!

-Always watching

JackOfBlades


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